Improvement in salinometers



4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

B. ONEIL..

Salinometer,

Patented' oct. 1o. 1865.

W .w Wm

4` Sheets-Sheet 2.'

P. s. o'NElLL.

Saiinometer.

Patented Ot. l0, 1865.

4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

. B. ONEILL.

Salinometer.

Patented oct. 1o, 1365.

N. PETERS. Phuwumognpher. wzshngan. ne

4- Sheets-Sheet 4. P. B. ONEILL.

`Salirmmeter.

Patented Oct. 10, 1865.

"ILL H [j UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

PATRICK ONEILL, OF ST. MARYS VILLA, COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX, GREAT BRITAIN.

IMPROVEMENT IN SALINOMETERS.

Spcciication forming pai-t of Letters PateiitNo. 50,380, dated October10, 1865.

To all whom it may concerns y Be it known that I, PATRICK BENiGNUsONEILL, of St. M arys Villa, Grove Bank, Fulhaui, in the county ofMiddlesex, in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, haveinvented a new and useful Machine or Apparatus for Measuring andIndieating the Salinity of Sea-IlVaterin Marine-Engine Boilers; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, cleai, and exactdescription ofthe construction andoperation ofthe same, reference beingmade to the annexed drawings, marked A B O D E F G, respectively, makingpart of this specilication, in which drawings* Figi-ue l, Drawing A, isaperspcctive view of one'of the said machines, or an apparatus which isintended to be applied to marine boilers, and which I denominate asalinometer, and of which Fig. 2 is a vertical section. Fig. 3, DrawingB, shows a modification of the dialscalc or indicator portion of thesalinonieter; and Fig. 4 is a plan at O D, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 shows acorrugated disk or diaphragm, which forms part of the apparatus,detached. Fig. 6 shows another modification ofiiidicator, which may besubstituted for those shown as above mentioned. Fig. 7 is a longitudinalsection through the line A B, Fig. 6. Fig. S, Drawing O, shows asectional elevation of a combined salinonieter and liydrometer in frontView, Fig. 9, the saine apparatus in side view, and Fig. l0 a plan viewthereof. Fig. l1, Drawing D, shows another modification of a combinedsalinometer and hydrometer in front view; Fig. 12, the saine inlongitudinal section, Fig. 13 being a plan view at the line E F. Fig..14, Drawing E, shows another modification of a combined salinonieterand liydrometer in front View; Fig. l5, a longitudinal section, and Fig.16 a plan View at G H. Fig. 17, Drawing F, shows a perspective elevationof a saliuometer `formed with a single diaphragm, and Fig. 1S

the same in transverse section. Fig. 19 is a geometrical front elevationof the saine saliiiometer shown at Figs. 17 and 1S, and Fig. 20'

formed or affixed. These enlarged liollows are divided into upper andlower compartments by disks or diaphragms of vulcanized indiarubber,thin metal, or other material of a iiexible, elastic, or other suitablenature. When the enlarged chambers or spheres are made to separate (thejoint being generally about the center) anges are formed; or any othersuitable method niay be employed for fixing and securing the two halvestogether. The diaphragins, which may be'either plain or corrugated, withspiral, concentric, or other corrugatioiis, are made larger than theinner diameter or area of the chambers, so that the outer edges ot' thesaid disks may be held all round between the joint or iianges abovementioned, where the upper and lower portions ofthe balls, spheres, orchambers are fixed together. In the case of the salinometer the uppercom partment of the higher hollow ball or cup is connected with theboiler above the surface of the water or in the steam-space by a pipe,through which pipe the steam .passes and acts upon the upper diaphragmby pressing it downward. The space immediately over this diaphragm ischarged with water in order to prevent the steam from direct contactwith the disk. The under compartment of the lower hollow ball or cup isalso connected by a Siphon-shaped pipe with the boiler below the surfaceof the water and as near the bottoni thereof as convenient, throughwhich latter siphon or pipe the water or brine from the boiler acts uponthe lower diaphragm by pressing it upward. The space immediately underthis diaphragm is also charged with water (cold) to prevent the boilingbrine troni injuring its under surface.

The upper and lower disks or diaphragms are connected by aoat-rodweighted or acted upon by a spring, or by a iioat-tube, which is alsoweighted, as hereinafter explained. This rod or tube keeps the disksalways at an equal distance apart, and the space between them andbetween the outer and inner pipe or rod is lled with water or othersuitable fluid, in which they oat. The connecting-rod is made buoyant bybeing iiicasedY in cork or other inaterial of suitable specific gravity.The connecting-tube, being filled with air only, pos sesses thenecessary buoyant power ot'itself.

To the top of the upper diaphragm a small rod is attached, so as to riseand fall therewith. This rod may have a glass and be graduated, or carrya pointer and the glass be graduated; or this rod may be toothed on oneside, and as it rises and falls turn a small pinion upon the inner endof a spindle passing through a stuffing-box in the side of the tube tothe front of a dial, where the outer end of the said spindle,beingtitted with a hand or pointer, will thus indicate upon the face ofa dial suitably graduated the relative density of fluid acting below thelower disk to that of the standard Huid or weight acting above the saidlower disk.

In adjusting the apparatus the rod or tube connecting the upper andlower diaphragm is suitably weighted or acted upon by a spring, so as tobalance exactly a given column of tluid of a known density or standardweight, so that it would just float therein, displacing its own weightor bulk of the duid. (For the salinome! ter this standard is that ofdistilled water and the height of the column forty inches.) Thediaphragms being then perfectly tlat, or neither elevated nor depressed,the hand is fixed to the zero-point.

The graduations on the dial or indicator are determined and the scale ofdegrees marked by subjecting the apparatus to the action of a forty-inchor equal column of iuid of various known degrees of density or salinity,and consequently the indications of these instruments are positive andunerring. I prefer a fortyinch column, but do not restrict myselfthereto, as a greater or less column may be adopted, according ascircumstances may require.

The apparatus thus formed, adjusted, and graduated is now ready for use.

' In aflixingoneof theseimproved salinom eters to a marine-engine boilerthe diaphragm of the upper sphere when two disks are used, or thezero-point when only one diskis employed, should be placed on a levelwith the working-surface water-line, the pipe connecting the same withthe boiler being attached thereto above the water-line, as beforestated. The pipe leading from the lower' diaphragm to the boiler shouldbe attached thereto as near the bottom of the latter as circumstanceswill admit, in order that the whole column of salt-water (the salinityof which is to be measured or weighed) may be actually in a boilingstate while it is acting upon the lower disk. rlhe graduations on theindicator scale or dial being determined, as before explained, fromequal columns of varying weight or density, or from unequal columnsofthe standard density, then so long as the water in the boiler remainsat its normal working-level the indications on the dial will Vgive thetrue result or actual state of salinity; but should the height of thewater in the boiler be either above or below the normal level, then suchvariation must be allowed for in the following manner: Suppose thewater-gage indicator shows that the level of the water in the boiler isstanding at No. 2 on the scale above zero-z'. e., two inches above thenormal waterlevel-and the pointer on the salinometer indicator index ordial is standing at No. 3 above zero-z'. e., above the standardthen thenumber indicated on the water-gage must be subtracted from the numberindicated on the salinometer, because in forming these instruments theirrespective scales are so adjusted to each other that the extra height ofa column of water equal to one division or graduation on the hydrometerwill exactly balance one degree ot salinity, or one division orgraduation marked on the salinometer. Whenever the indicated number orheight on the hydrometer is above the zero-point the indicated number ordegree on the salinometer will also be above the zeropoint; but in casethe number indicated upon the liydrometer (or level of the water in theboiler) is below its zero-point, and the number indicated on thesalinometer is above its own point, the two indicated numbers must beadded together, and the result will be the true state of the water inthe boiler. The workin g limit of salinity is generally considered to be250.

From the foregoing explanation of the principle of construction it willreadily be understood that similarinstruments with slight modificationsin theirdetails may be formed upon the same principle ot' constructionfor testing the weight, density, or pressure ot' any matter, fluid,elastic or other vapor, all that is necessary being to adopt anyconvenient known standard or weight above the disk and acting thereonwith a known pressure or force, and then to admit the pressure, weight,or force (as the case may be) ofthe matter, duid, or vapor to be tested,so that it will act below the disk and indicate the same by ahand-pointer or upon a dial or scale suitably graduated.

Let us suppose that it is required to adapt the new instrument for thepurpose of a pressure-gage. All that is required is `to first fix uponthe standard for the zeropoint, then graduate the dial to the requiredscalesay 0, 5, 10, 15, Ste., pounds per square inch. Upon bringing thepressure to be measured to bear at the under side ot' the disk, whichmay be done by any kind of tap fitted thereto, or by any other suitablemethod or contrivance, the result will appear on the -dial or scale bythe hand or pointer fitted thereto.

Having thus stated the nature ot' my said invention and explained theprinciple upon which the salinometer and other instruments for measuringand registering the wei ght, pressure, or density of matter, fluids,gases, vapors, and for other similar or analogous purposes are to beconstructed, I now proceed to further describe the various forms andcombinations thereof, reference being made to the details "L Q LA. ...nl

pipes leading to and connecting theinstrument with the boiler, eadmitting the steam to act above the upper disk, and j' admitting theboiling brine or water to act below the lower disk; g, the inner tube,weighted as before described at page 3, shot, b y preference, being usedfor the purpose, or acted upon by asprin g, and connecting the twodiaphragms it' together; 7c k, spaces iilled with water or othersuitable fluid; I, shot or other weight, by which the inner tube isloaded until the standard pressure toact above the disk is obtained; aa, a disked rest upon which the lower disk is supported when theinstrument is not in use; o 0, ridge-and-valley gripeformed in theliange joint for holding and tightening the elastic diaphragms to therequired degree of tension; p, the rod or rack, which rises and fallswith the varying pressure upon the instrument, and indicates the same,or which turns the pinions r upon the spindles s workingthrough thestuffing-box and carrying and turning the hand or pointer u in front ofthe dial n, where the iigures round the periphery indicate the degreeot' density or units of weight or pressure, as the case may be. 'w is asmall screw-plug for charging the tube e with ilnid when required.

Fig. 3 is an elevation, and Fig. et a plan at the line c d, Fig. 3,showing a scale-indicator and single-disk apparatus, in which the innertube, a, is graduated by colored rings b b round the sa me, marking thedegrees, or has one ring, ct', and a scale at the side or on the glassin front. An opening is made in the main tube, and in this opening' astrong plate ot' glass, c', is titted and securely lived; d d, a cushionot any suitable ilexible material, upon which the glass is bedded; Z1"b, covering-plate fastened to the sides ot' the outer tube by screws. Anopening is cutout ofthe middle of this plate, through which the glassand inner tube and indicator ring or rings can be seen by the observer.The inner tube is loaded and attached to the lower disk or diaphragm, asbefore described. Vhen this kind of indicator is used the zero-point isplaced level with the water in the boiler and forty inches (more orless) above the center ofthe lower diaphragm. It will be understoodthatasingle-diaphragminstrument with a dial, or double-diaphragmapparatus with the tube-indicator, may be employed. In loading the innertube, in all cases when the upper diaphragm is used, the superincumbentupper column, .or t, Figs. l and 2, must be allowed for.

Fig. 5 is aplan view ot' a corrugated disk, a section of which is shownacross the center thereof, a b.

Modijication of indicator-dial- Figs 6 and 7, Drawing B: ln this casethe hand or pointer is worked by levers, and one diaphragm only is to beused. a is the inner tube or rod, as before; b, a short connecting-rod,attached at one end to the top of the tube and at the other to the endof a crank-lever, o, fixed upon the spindle d, which carries the pointere. The spindle d works through the dial-plate f, and as the inner tubeor weighted rod, as the case may be, rises and falls, the pointer ismoved to the right or left. If desired, the sectional dial g may beincreased to any extent from that here shown (or less) up to a completecircle, as shown by the dotted lines, and the same kind of lever actionbe made available. The sectional dial can be also placed so that thehand and zero-point may be horizontal, or, in fact, in anyrequiredposition. 7L is a perforated plate, in the center ot' which is a bearingor hole to receive and carry the end of the spindle d of the indicator.

The combined salinometer and hQ/drometer.- Fig. S, Drawing (l, shows afront elevation, Fig. 9 a side view, and Fig. l() a plan view, of oneot' these apparatus. a is the main outer tube of the salinometer, asbefore described; b, the salinometer-dial; c, the hydrometcr-scale; d,the working-surface level of the water in the boiler; e e, aglass-inclosed opening in the main pipe a, through which glass thesurface of the water can be seen. This pipe e is open to the boiler, sothat the steam which presses upon the surface ot' the salt-water in theboiler also presses upon the saltless or distilled water in thesalinometer, the two surfaces ot which it is desired to maintain at thesame or at some known relative level. I should here state that I deem itimportant to keep the salt-water ont of the salinometerpipe above thelower dinphragm. In order to accomplish this and thus render thesalinometer capable of indicating the salinity of the brine moreaccurately, and at the same time operate as a hydrometer, I connect theboiler and pipe e by means ot' the pipes g and h, upon which latterpipes I place the intercepting-reservoir t'. This reservoir is made toseparate and tit together at the joint j, and is divided internally intotwo compartments (as is the case in the salinometereglobes) by aflexible diaphragm of india-rubber, 7s. The pipe g and the compartment7c are charged with cold water up to the level ot' the top of the globesbefore the apparatus is attached to the boiler, and in charging thesalinometertube with distilled water the pipe 7L and the compartment k2are also filled. Now, in this condition, the apparatus being supposed tobe attached, to the boiler and the latter to be in operation, then (thewaterbeing at the working-level d d,) the column of brine L L will bebalanced by the column of .fresh water L2 L3, or nearly so, the relativelevels of the two surfaces varying a little more or less, according asthe salinity (and consequently the weight) of the boiler-column isincreased or diminished.

This difference in level, however, will only be caused by the differencein weight of the two short columns L L and L2 L3, a little more or lessavariation which, in practice, will be scarcely appreciable. To give anexample of the action ot' this part of the improved apparatus, I willsuppose that the boiler-column is suddenly lowered. Then thesalinometer-co1- umu will press upon the diaphragm in theintercept-ing-reservoir, which will yield until an equilibrium of thetwo columns is obtained. Again, I will suppose that the water in thesalinometer-tube e is accumulating from. the condensation of the steam.Nou/,it is obvious that without some compensating medium this columnwill increase until the condensed water rises therein to the elbowabove, when it will flow over into the boiler. As soon as this columnexceeds in weight the column of brine in the boiler it willcause thediaphragm to yield in the contrary direction to that before stated untilthe equilibrium is again thereby effected, and thus their respectivecolumns become selfadjusting. m is a small tap forlettiug off thedistilled water occasionally.

Another mode of combining the two instruments in one apparatus is alsoshown upon Drawing D. Fig. 11 is a front view, Fig. 12 a section, andFig. 15 a plan at E F, Figs. 11 and 12. ais the main tube of thesalinometer, as before; b, the inner tube, which rises and falls andworks the salinometer-dial c. c is a hydrometer-scale, having aglass-inclosed opening, e e, through which the surface ofthe Water canbe seen. j is a water-tight compartment immediately behind the glass,open at'the top, and charged with water up to the line x x, orwater-surface in the boiler. g g' is a siphon, the two limbs of whichdip to the level of the bottom of the scale, the action of which siphonis as follows: As the water in the boiler rises and falls the water Howsfrom g to g', and vice versa. rlhe inclosnre f may be carried up abovethe elbow, as shown at f', in order to prevent the water in the maintube from flowing over it at any time into the Siphon or hydrometerportion of the tube.

Drawing` E shows another modification of this combined apparatus. Fig.14 is a front view, Fig. 15 a section, and Fig. 16 a plan at G H. Thegeneral construction is the saine as that shown on Drawing D. a is themain tube; b, the inner tube, which rises and falls as the weight of thebrine increases or diminishes; 0, the Siphon, one limb of which dipsinto a wellhole, d, in the rising and falling tube. e care openings inthe tube, connecting the well-hole d therein with the outer tube. c, sothat as the water therein rises. or falls it may be acted upon by thesiphon, and the surface thereby regulated bythe surface of the water inthe boiler.

Drawing F shows a modifica-tion of the salinometer represented at Figs.6 and 7, Drawing B, Fig. 17 being a perspective elevation, and Fig. 18 asectional view. Fig. 19, Drawing C, shows afrontelevation of thesingle-diaphragm salinometer last explained, and Fig. 20 a similarinstrument with a short inner and main tube, intended to operate as ahydrometer, to be xed to the boiler at the side of the said salinometer,as here shown, and to be used in conjunction therewith,the two dialsbeing Xed at the same level and the respective instruments graduated andadjusted, so that as the salinometer indicates the degrees of salinitythe hydrometer indicates the height of the water in the boiler. rlheblack hands, as here shown, indicate saltless water, thered hands 30 ofsalinity.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The salinometer formed with an outer tube and a flexible diaphragm,upon which diaphragm rests a weighted tube balancing a given column ot'uid of a known density, so as to indicate varying pressures of thesaline column, substantially as specified.

2. In combination with the salinometer, fitted and acting as specified,the hydrometer, applied and acting as set forth.

r. B. oNEiLL.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM BULL, Civil Engineer, 1 Quality Court, Chancery Lane,

London.

ARTHUR OHABOT,

129 Uamberweli Road, Surrey.

